Aqueduct: Thursday, December 17

[Teach]

“Once upon a morning dreary, I was pondering The Form weary…” “Teach” Poe

“The Rain Today Affects Your “The Big A” Play.” “I Think You’ve Got It!” “Teach” Harrison.

“Simple Phonetics…” “Why Can’t New Yorkers Teach Their Children How To Speak?”

You must know that here in “Beantown,” “The Hub of The Universe,” we use only twenty-five letters. We “Proper Bostonians” got it right. No “R”.
“Pahk The Cah In Hahvahd Yahd.” The only time we use an “R” is occasionally at the end of a word, like “I’ve got a good ‘i-dear’ “.
Well, time to study the “fohm”. See you in a while with my “Big A” selections.

[Teach]

Race One:

:6: Freedom Seven is my pick in the opener. Trainer Tom Albertrani has tried this 3 year-old colt on the lawn, twice. Nada! Now, the main. A wet track? This colt should relish the expected off-going. The Dam’s side has solid wet-track lineage. The Sire is by Lemon Drop Kid. Remember him in the 1999 Belmont and also The Travers. I believe “The Outside” will be the place to be. Apprentice Harry Hernandez is in the irons. I might add that trainer Albertani does well when going route-to-sprint.

Others: :3: , :5: , :4:

Race Two:

:2: Town Tart moves up from her last start into an 80k OC n1x. As the late-great Yankees catcher, Yogi Berra, would say: “It’s like déjà vu all over again”. In this filly’s last, on a wet track, she obliterated the field in a six-panel race at Belmont in late October. Anything resembling that effort and she should make it two-straight. Frankly, I would have like to have seen her draw an outside post, but… The filly does have the services of “The Dynamic Duo”: jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Trainer Rodriguez does well in most racing categories. My only concerns are: (1) the filly’s been away from the races for a while and (2) her most recent morning work was nothing to write home about.

Others: :3: , :4: , :1:

Race Three:

:5: Hunter Cat gets my nod in this MSW sprint for New York state-breds. This lightly-raced 4 year-old gelding has solid wet-track breeding, especially on his Sire’s side, e.g., Tale of the Cat, Relato del Gato. A chance to make amends as a third-place beaten-favorite in his last. Manny Franco reprises the ride for trainer Jim Ryerson.

Others: :6: , :1: , :2:

Race Four:

:6: White Bluff is a highly-priced 2 year-old grey colt out of Pilaf by Macho Uno (Holy Bull). That combo represents a solid wet-track lineage. I believe this colt will move up on a wet track. He’s cutting back over two panels off his last out-of-the money finish at Laurel in late November. Manny Franco is in the irons for trainer Tony Dutrow. Dutrow does very well when dropping from maiden to maiden claiming. This colt had a solid (“bullet”) recent 5-panel work.

Others: :8: , :7: , :3:

Race Five:

:2: Little Love is another colt who I believe moves up on a wet surface. Not For Love (Mr. Prospector) speaks volumes. The Linda Rice-Cornelio Velasquez combo has picked it up, lately. This colt won his last at Laurel on a muddy track. My only concern is that the colt has been away from the races for nine months. In addition, he now faces winners. Other than that…

Others: :3: , :10: , :7:

Race Six:

:3: Bustin To Win is my pick. This City Zip-bred filly has won two in a row, one of those came in the slop. Trainer Hugh McMahon does very well with both sprints and winners of their last race. Victor Carrasco is in the irons.

Others: :5: , :7: , :2:

Race Seven:

In this optional claimer, my choice is an ML longshot, :9: Noble and a Beauty. “The King of Philadelphia,” Kendrick Carmouche, is in the irons for trainer Rick Violette, Jr. I believe this chestnut filly will benefit from her outside starting post. She’s hit the tote in both her moisture-laden tries. One caveat: she hasn’t raced in three months. Yet, she fits comfortably with these.

Others: :6: , :1: , :2:

Race Eight:

In the finale, I’m going with :2: Apache Warrior. This A.P. Indy-bred should enjoy the off-going. The gelding, he’s five out of eight, lifetime in the money, has the services of the most capable Jose Ortiz. The gelding’s trainer, Jeremiah Englehart is a solid conditioner, yet he needs to “get off the schneid” in this Aqueduct meet. This gelding is dropping in class. He has a chance to make amends to narrowly finishing second as the favorite in his last.

Others: :8: , :7: , :6:

[Unicorn]

Hey Teach will the rain effect your picks?

[Unicorn]

I did a couple of 6 over's in the first. Let's see what happens.

[Teach]

Unicorn, The deuce in this race is doin' "The Rhumba". I like that!